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Topics: Travel, Germany, World News
Ellie Kemp
Tourists impacted by airline strikes in Germany could be entitled to hundreds of dollars of compensation.
Lufthansa cancelled some 800 flights on Thursday (February 12) after pilots and cabin crew walked out for 24 hours over pension and job security disputes, The Daily Mail reports.
Some 100,000 passengers were affected, the publication added, with major hubs like Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich forced to cancel flights.
Affected travellers were automatically rebooked on alternative flights if possible, as per Euro News, but those left stranded might be able to claim some money out of the situation, thanks to European Union law.
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As EU Flight Compensation explains, Regulation EC261/2004 means tourists could be paid up to €600 - around $712 - if the flight was cancelled within 14 days and they weren't offered another flight.
The amount varies; it tends to be €250 ($298) for short-haul, €400 ($475) for medium-haul and then the full €600 for long-haul.
But that's only if the flight cancelation meets the key criteria - that it's short-notice, that the strike involves airline employees and not airport staff, that the disrupted flight was to or from the EU and that the delay was for three hours or more.
Affected passengers were also entitled to complimentary rebooking or a full refund, as well as meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation.
If delays exceeded five hours, they had the right to cancel their journey and receive a refund.
In a statement, Lufthansa said the announcements were 'extremely short-notice' and 'disproportionate', adding that they are 'ready' for unions to 'resume talks with us'.
"Sustainable solutions can only be found through dialogue; strikes must always remain a last resort." they said. The spokesperson added that passengers whose flights were affected would be notified in advance.
Lufthansa has resumed normal flight operations following Thursday's 24-hour strike, and the widespread cancellations across German airports are now over.
However, some knock-on disruption may still be felt as aircraft and crew are repositioned and schedules return to full normality.
The strike affected flights at Lufthansa’s German operations - the airline’s core business - while some other carriers within the wider Lufthansa Group continued to operate normally.
Lufthansa’s partner airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Eurowings and Discover Airlines, were not part of the strike action and kept flying as scheduled, even though the walkout grounded hundreds of mainline Lufthansa departures.
Travellers with bookings in the days immediately after the strike are still advised to check their flight status before travelling.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled during the strike period should already have been contacted with rebooking or refund options.
If not, then you can submit a refund claim via Lufthansa's website here.